


The Sand and the Sea on Your Skin

by tjs_whatnot



Category: Shelter (2007)
Genre: Angst and Porn, Class Differences, Fade to Black, M/M, Road Trips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-10-02
Updated: 2017-10-02
Packaged: 2019-01-08 01:15:44
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,038
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12244266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tjs_whatnot/pseuds/tjs_whatnot
Summary: Shaun and Zach have different ways of dealing with their responsibilities and all the Pacific Coast to sort it out.





	The Sand and the Sea on Your Skin

**Author's Note:**

> Spikeduv and I agreed to write a story each for the same fandom with the same prompt "Road Trip," with a deadline of Oct 1 and a 5,000 word limit. And I promise, it was the 1st when I started posting this story. :(
> 
> Thanks, Spike! This was a lot of fun and I loved revisiting these glorious boys!
> 
> Their awesome contribution can be found here: [welcome home](http://archiveofourown.org/works/12220080)

Zach looked out to the setting sun into the horizon of the Pacific and shivered. He marveled at the difference and similarities between the horizon he was used to and often took for granted in Southern California and this one in Lincoln City Oregon. The sun was the same, of course, and the waves mostly. But that’s where the similarities ended. The terrain was rocky with pockets of sandy beach and the wind blew cold and damp.

Even though it was summer, the water was still frigid, colder than his ever got, even in January. But, they had the full body wetsuits that Shaun had gotten them for Christmas, so they were fine. The moment after he and Shaun had dropped Cody off at Jeanne’s in Portland, they drove back to the coast and checked into the first seaside motel they could find. The second thing they did after checking in was grab their boards and suits and hit the waves. The first thing, of course, was testing the motel’s bed, shower and even the door jam as they realized this was the first time in forever they were completely and totally alone.

Now, Zach sat at the balcony outside their room and watched as Shaun took one last wave. Shaun seemed to be determined to milk every last experience of the summer for all it was worth. He had asked Zach if he wouldn’t mind if they took their time getting back home with those puppy dog eyes that he sometimes used to break Zach’s resolve in those few times that their agendas didn’t totally, completely sync. There was no fighting those eyes and the plea that accompanied them for Zach. His heart swelled as it often did when he watched Shaun, when he thought of Shaun as _his_. He wanted to have this time too, of course he did… only…

The last year had been glorious and Zach still barely believed that he wasn’t living a dream. Punks like him didn’t get the happily ever afters that he was currently living in. But, even in happily ever afters, there was so much to do and too many things pulling at his time. Between school, Cody and trying for the first time in his life to be the perfect boyfriend, he hadn’t had any time to do anything to support himself, to support Cody. Happily Ever Afters weren’t cheap. 

He wasn’t accustomed to be taken care of and he hated it. He had planned to spend this summer, the first free time he’d had since moving in with Shaun last year, looking for a job. Every moment that he wasn’t back home applying for jobs, looking for opportunities was weighing on him.

Still, when Shaun bounded up the stairs, leaned his board against the wall before getting on his knees before Zach and kissing him long and deep as way of greeting, Zach forgot all that had been ghosting his good time.

“Whatcha thinking, love?”

“Food,” Zach lied, licking the wet, salty sand from the kiss off his lips.

“Hungry?” Shaun asked and his eyes were wicked as he bit his own lip.

“Famished. Why? What were you thinking about?”

“Fucking.”

Zach smiled wide. “Ah, so you’re hungry too?”

Shaun wrapped his hand around the back of Zach’s neck and fisted the hair there, pulling Zach to his lips where they were devoured. “Famished,” Shaun finally answered with a growl.

“Pizza delivery in bed then?” Zach asked.

“Oh my God, can we?” Shaun exclaimed, standing up, pulling Zach up to his feet. Bending and hugging Zach’s knees he effortless lifted him up and draped him over his shoulder. Zach didn’t fight as they were only a few feet from the door and he’d soon be put down and ravished.

Zach, always thinking ahead and actually, truly starving now that he’d said it, reached for the phone as he watched Shaun slowly try to remove himself from the skin-hugging suit covering his entire body. He found the number and pushed in the digits, shimming out of his swim trunks--the only thing he was wearing. Seeing Zach sprawled against the bed completely naked caused Shaun to fumble with his suit in an anxious desire to be out of it, and his obvious need only got worse as Zach took his own cock in his hand and lazily began stroking his fingers along the shaft lightly, waiting for someone to answer the phone.

“Stop it,” Shaun whined as he finally got the suit off his shoulders, down his chest and down to his hips.

It wasn’t Shaun’s pleading that got Zach to stop, it was the voice suddenly on the line. Having Zach distracted by some person who was nothing but a murmur through telephone wires must have done something to Shaun, because he suddenly abandoned his attempt to get naked and instead climbed on the bed, hovering for a moment over Zach’s groin before leaning down and taking Zach’s cock deep down his throat.

The high-pitched, alarmed squeak that came out of Zach’s mouth only made Shaun chuckle against Zach’s shaft. This, of course, caused Zach to pant and completely lose the thread of what he was doing besides the sensation of warm, wet needy slurping.

“I’m sorry, what?” he gasped into the phone. 

He listened to the question repeated. “No. No, that’s all, thanks. Seabreeze Inn on Route 1, Room 32--” he inhaled sharply as Shaun’s teeth scraped against the tip of his cock. “Please hurry!”

He hung up the phone.

“That was mean,” he said, pulling at Shaun’s hair so that he could drag him from where he was currently up to meet his lips with Shaun’s. 

“What?” Shaun asked confused.

“Too soon,” Zach breathed into Shaun’s ear before he licked it into his mouth. “I don’t want to come until I’ve tasted your mouth, licked the salt off your skin, sucked the sand out of your pores.” 

“Jesus, Zach, why did you tell the pizza guy to hurry then?”

Zach shrugged. “Preoccupied I guess. We should probably get started, yes?”

Shaun needed no more words. He leaned into Zach and licked his lips apart with his tongue that darted in and swirled itself against Zach’s before pulling out. He took Zach’s lower lip in between his teeth and bit gently, pulling slightly. Zach wrapped his legs tightly around Shaun’s waist, put his hands around Shaun’s neck, massaging his jaws open as he dove his tongue down Shaun’s throat, clashing teeth, sucking on his tongue--devouring his mouth. 

Shaun began grinding against Zach, but stopped with an exasperated moan. Zach could feel the rubbery latex of Shaun’s suit still covering him from hip down. Laughing, Zach pivoted them and straddled Shaun, sitting so his cock laid against Shaun’s stomach. He reached for it, but Zach took his hands and held them over Shaun’s head, leaning down to once again kiss him, this time slow and tender. Shaun groaned and bucked against his lack of freedom and his need to be touched.

Zach moved from Shaun’s lips to his chin, then his throat, doing exactly what he’d promised, licking, tasting and sucking the sea from his lover’s body. All the while Shaun struggled to get free of his suit with no help from his hands, still grasped in Zach’s. When Shaun’s pleas turned from guttural to profane, Zach slid down Shaun’s body and began to tug at Shaun’s suit.

Finally Shaun gasped free and reached for Zach who was now at his feet, staring hungrily at Shaun’s newly exposed cock. 

“Have you tasted me enough?” Shaun asked. “Will you let me fuck you now?”

Zach swallowed, bit his lower lip and nodded slowly. 

Just then, though, there was a knock on the door.

“FUCK!” Shaun shouted, jumping up and throwing the sheet around his newly naked body and rifling through his wallet on the nightstand. He opened the door, threw a wad of cash to the startled pizza guy, grabbed the box, mumbled a thanks and shut the door again. Zach laid sprawled on the stripped bed, laughing.

Shaun smiled wide as well, before tossing the pizza box on the tiny table across from the bed, flinging his protective sheet off and pouncing on top of Zach, pinning him to the bed and finally fucking him into the mattress.

***

The pizza was barely lukewarm by the time they lay in bed, feeding each other slices, licking the sauce and grease from each other’s faces. After they’d finished their food, after Shaun had finally gotten to finish the job he’d started with his mouth around Zach’s cock and got to swallow him down, smiling and satisfied as he curled up against Zach, spooning against him, they talked.

“How would you feel about taking a few extra days and instead of going back home, we head up north, maybe check out Seattle? Olympia?”

Zach held on tight to Shaun, relieved that they weren’t facing each other, that he didn’t have to hide his reaction, that Shaun didn’t have to see the rock drop in the pit of Zach’s stomach that he was sure showed in his eyes.

“Seattle? Olympia? To surf?”

Shaun chuckled. “There are other things to do besides surfing you know.”

Zach moved his hand from where it was snaked around Shaun’s middle and brought it to his groin. “I know there is. We could do that anywhere, even at home. We can fuck in every single room of our house. No worrying about waking up any small humans, not having to worry about being walked in on. We could sully every nook and cranny, you could bend me over the kitchen table if you want. Doesn’t that sound like a great way to spend our time?”

Shaun sighed. “It was just an idea. We have all this time…”

Zach sighed too. He hated this conversation already. “Do we though? I mean, don’t you have edits to get back to your agent?” 

Shaun shrugged. “The edits can wait. The agent can wait.”

“Shaun, you worked _really_ hard to get an agent and you finally get one and you’re just going to blow her off?”

“Jesus, never mind. We’ll go back. I mean it’s not like I can’t do edits no matter where we go.”

Shaun went to pull away--a habit he’d picked up from Zach-- but Zach wouldn’t let him go, held on tight, refusing to let him run away--a habit he’d picked up from Shaun. 

“You know I’d go anywhere with you. Wherever you go, I’ll follow. If you need a few more days of adventure, then I can make that work.”

Shaun turned his head, looking skeptical.

“I can.” Zach promised himself that he would try very hard to mean it.

***

They got up early the next morning to get a few more waves in before heading even farther up north. They didn’t know much about the Washington coast, but they did know it wasn’t really known for its many surfing opportunities.

They were quiet with each other as they each showered and got dressed, checked out of the hotel and stopped at a gas station for coffee and gas before heading north. They were used to this silence though, it was the way they were any time they had disagreements, even the mild ones of the night before. They had gotten so accustomed to it, that the silences weren’t even awkward anymore. They knew it would pass, that they’d get back together and be comfortable again with each other. 

By the time they’d crossed the Columbia River and entered Washington, Zach had slid across the seat and had his head on Shaun’s shoulder, sleeping softly. Shaun rested his hand on Zach’s thigh, and sang along with the radio, badly. They spent the afternoon hiking through the Olympia National Rain Forest, pointing out strange mushrooms and flowers and marveling at the unfamiliar animal sounds all around them. They chased each other over rocky terrain and kissed for what felt like hours behind a waterfall, the water all they could see or hear, feeling like they were the only people on the planet. They camped that night, laying in their sleeping bags, zipped together to make one large bag, watching the stars as they leisurely stroked each other’s cocks. Not a worry in the world.

The next day as they drove to Seattle, Zach was quite proud of how in the moment he had allowed himself to be so far. He hadn’t thought of all the responsibilities he was neglecting once… or not more than once, twice at the very most. Still, as they pulled into the hotel’s parking lot in the heart of Seattle and the valet took the truck as they walked through the posh, overly modern lobby, Zach swallowed hard and tried not to look the okie-bumpkin he felt. And as Shaun checked them in, sliding the gold card his father had given him “for emergencies” across the counter, Zach pretended he didn’t see. Just like the many, many times he’d tried before.

They rode up the elevator with a group of people who Zach was sure were holding their breath against the wildlife and mangy smell of he and Shaun. He wanted to melt into the carpet, seep out the doors that opened on every single floor letting more and more people out, until it was just he and Shaun.

Zach was just about to freak out that maybe Shaun had completely lost his mind and put them in the penthouse suite when they finally stopped a few floors from it. Still, when he walked into the ridiculously large room, instead of seeing the view--the sun golden and low over the Puget Sound from one floor to ceiling window, the Space Needle from the other--he didn’t see the magic, he saw the money that view cost.

“Shaun, this is… is… too much…”

“I know, right?” Shaun said, dropping his bags and walking to the window. “Just gorgeous.”

Zach bit his tongue, hard. He decided to focus on Shaun’s joy and not the panic rising in his chest.

“Holy shit, Zach, you have to see this bathroom! Wanna join me in the shower?”

“Start without me, I want to check my email, mind if I borrow your laptop?”

“Of course not. But hurry before I use all the hot water.”

Zach pulled Shaun’s computer out of his bag. “I’m sure a place like this, the hot water is pretty limitless.” 

Shaun came and ruffled his hair, kissed him on the cheek and walked to the bathroom, stripping out of his dirty, slept-iin clothes. For only a moment, Zach contemplated foregoing his task and running after Shaun. But then he looked around the room again and his resolve returned. 

He wondered what it would be like to be able to afford a place like that. What it would feel like to never have to worry about money, or more importantly for him these days, what it would feel like to have truly _earned_ they things he had. It had been a long time since he’d earned anything. And no, scholarships didn’t count. Jeanne’s random checks that arrived with no note or explanation didn’t count.

He waited to open his email page until after the water started in the shower, after he heard Shaun start singing his go-to shower song:

_I don't mind the sun sometimes the images it shows_  
I can taste you on my lips and smell you in my clothes  
Cinnamon and sugary and softly spoken lies  
You never know just how you look through other people's eyes... 

He smiled for a minute and then frowned as he saw that there were no emails waiting from the school about the handful of paid internships he’d applied for the last week of school.

“Fuck,” Zach murmured. He would have felt a lot better if he knew there would be real, spendable money coming in when school began again. He’d still need to find something for the right now, but it would have gone a long way to ease his mind.

When Shaun came out of the bathroom, wrapped in a tiny towel, Zach was still at the computer. 

“I thought you were joining me?”

Zach looked up for a second. “Sorry, got distracted.”

“With what? I told you that you don’t need gay porn anymore. You have me.”

“Haha. No, I just had to update my resume, check the school’s job listings.”

“Now? You had to do that _now_?” 

“Believe me, I’d rather be soaping up with you and being sparkly clean right now, but If I wait too long, all the good jobs, all the jobs I’m qualified for will be gone, and then what?”

“Then what?” Shaun came and stood behind him, his hands on Zach’s shoulders. “Then we run away, he hitchhike around the country, living in the wild, foraging for our food.”

“We live off your father forever?”

Shaun took his hands off Zach. Zach could see in the reflection off the window that Shaun’s smile was gone.

“Is this about what he said at Christmas?” 

“Shaun, he told me, in front of your whole family, that it’s always seemed like I was a part of the family since he’s already been supporting me for my whole life, first as Gabe’s friend and then as your boyfriend. Do you know how humiliating that was for someone like me? Someone who’s spent his whole life taking care of himself and everyone else in his life?”

“Someone not like me?”

Zach stood up and faced Shaun. He’d never seen him look quite so hurt. “I wasn’t saying that! But I had to stand there in front of everyone and I was terrified to start with and then he said that. I didn’t even know that he thought that about me all those years, that he was supporting us--”

“Jesus, Zach, pull your head out of your ass! That wasn’t about you, that wasn’t _for_ you.” Hr went to his bags and started rummaging through them, pulling out clothes that he hastily put on. “That was for me. That was to humiliate me. How dare I _think_ I could take care of someone else’s happiness? Could help raise someone else’s child? I can’t even take care of myself. I don’t even have any fuckin’ marketable skills.”

He had his back to Zach and Zach was glad for it, he didn’t know what to say and he was afraid to see the hurt and anger that was sure to be in his eyes.

“Shaun,” he finally began.

Shaun raised a hand. “Don’t. Please, just… I’m going to go for a walk. See some sights. We can head back home tomorrow. Okay?”

Zach couldn’t agree or argue because Shaun walked to the door and out it without another word or a backward glance.

Zach just stood there not sure what to do. If it were him, Shaun would have went after him, forced him to talk it out. He’d had to do that a lot there in the beginning. But there was a reason that Zach had always walked out when he needed time, he knew how cathartic it was to get lost in your own thoughts and feelings without having to explain or argue through them. He sat down. He’d give Shaun his space.

He went to shut down Shaun’s computer, but when he went to pull up the opened windows, he saw that Shaun’s book was open in Word. It had taken Shaun a long time to let Zach read it, but he had finally and Zach lad loved it. He thought he’d read a bit now to remind himself of what their life would soon be. It was going to be published soon. He’d gotten an agent and now it was only a matter of time.

He pulled up the window and his heart stopped as his stomach dropped. This was obviously the copy Shaun had received back from the agent. It was a red smeared mess. Shaun had told him there were only minor edits, but the truth was a massacre, every page filled with slashes, cuts and hemorrhaging. 

Why hadn’t Shaun told him? Then Zach remembered something Shaun had just said: _How dare I _think_ I could take care of someone else’s happiness? Could help raise someone else’s child? I can’t even take care of myself. I don’t even have any fuckin’ marketable skills._

Suddenly all the pieces fell into place. He wasn’t the only one who mastered the skill of running away from things. That’s what this whole trip was, Shaun running away from what he thought of as failure. Running away from his father’s disappointment. RUnning away from his fear that he’d never have the skills to take care of his family. The same fear that had been driving Zach too, they just had different ways of dealing with it, neither of them, apparently, included talking it out with their partner.

Instead of shutting down the computer, he left it on, the document open. He called down to the concierge and ordered room service, then he took a shower. After the champagne arrived, he went around the room, turning on the mood lighting and turning off all the others so that the only thing the room showed was the amazing view, all lit up now that they sun had set. He stood at the window wrapped in the softest, fluffiest robe that ever existed and waited. Thankfully, he didn’t have to wait too long.

“Zach?” 

He turned around. “Come here.”

Shaun walked to him, a bit apprehensive. 

“Look at this,” Zach whispered, lifting his hands. “This view. We’re here. You brought us here. And I forgot to thank you for that, thank you for supporting me all these months.”

“You mean my father--”

Zach came to stand in front of him and put his finger to his lips. “No. I don’t mean money. I mean bringing me here to share my life with you, supporting me by believing in me, having my back and helping me with Cody.”

“Thank you for supporting me too,” Shaun whispered back, leaning forward and pecking Zach on the cheek.

Zach smiled and walked around him, taking his hand so he’d follow him to where the champagne was chilling in it’s stand. “And as long as we support each other in all those ways, we’ll get through this and get to a place where we can support each other financially.” He popped the cork and poured the bubbly, handing one to Shaun. “I’ll get a job, and you’ll edit the fuck out of that,” he pointed to the document on the table across the room.

“Oh God, that piece of shit? What was I thinking?”

“You were thinking you’d write an amazing book, find an amazing agent who would help you make it even more amazing.”

“But look at that. Obviously she hated it.”

“Yes, obviously she read it close enough and enough times to do all that damage because she hated it and all that time on her hands to waste on it. And then she offered you a contract? That totally makes sense.” 

“Well does all those corrections and questioning every word choice I made make sense?”

“Not to me, no. But I don’t do this shit for a living. Lets trust the woman who does this for a living.”

“So, we start tomorrow? We go home and get jobs and finish novels?”

“Or,” Zach began, taking them back to the view. “We spend one last weekend spending your father’s money, having the kind of adventures he’d never have and _then_ we start taking care of ourselves.”

“Yeah?” Shaun smiled. “What’s our first adventure?”

Zach raised his glass and drank. Shaun did the same. Zach took the glass from him and turned him around to look out the window again. He hooked his chin over Shaun’s shoulder, whispering in his ear. “Tell me you don’t want me up against that window, fuckng me with nothing between us and the entire city but that thin piece of glass.”

Shaun didn’t need words, his eyes said it all.


End file.
